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Health & Fitness

The most famous highway that was never built, here in Newington

There may be only 3 miles of the Berlin Turnpike that travel though the town of Newington, but that's enough to write a book. Just the word Turnpike deserves an explanation. The 2nd half of this word is Pike, and that
 comes from an horizontal infantry weapon that would be placed on a pole along roads in the 17*“ and 18”‘centurys. This was in case of a pending attack from attackers on horses. To pass through these pikes, the
 toll keeper would need to turn them. So that folks is how you get the word turnpike. Turnpikes eventually became roads that you would have to pay to drive on. This holds true for the Hartford New Haven Turnpike which went on to become the Berlin one. Today the Berlin Turnpike, aka Routes 5/15 connects
 the Wilbur Cross Parkway to the Wilbur Cross Highway. This is not though before passing through the town of Newington in either direction. Newington has many attractions and places to go. The Berlin Turnpike reminds many of the post road along the shoreline. There are many resturants, retail stores, and plazes up and down this corridor. Newington has the lwo Jima Survivors Memorial, dedicated to the many who died in World War 2. Downtown Newington, which is set apart from the Berlin Turnpike is uptopian. There is a perfect setting of well manicured lawns, smaller and quaint plazas and more pedestrian friendly sidewalks. I wrote in my book, that I thought the town was
 perfect and I continue to stand by that.The name Newington derives from first days as a settlement when it broke off from Wethersfield. It actually means, new town in the Meadow. In its 1“ few years, Newington went by quite a few nicknames, one being Pipestave. Now I bet you that's a word you have never heard of and that's what makes Newington so unique. Many of you are familiar with Newington’s Mill Pond Falls. This moving body of
water is documented as being the smallest natural waterfalls in the world.There is more behind this story though. The first settlers of Newington, used the falls to build a mill at this location. This mill produced what is called Staves. Staves are bent or curved pieces of wood. These Staves once made, would later be used to build large barrels. These barrels would be called Pipe Staves because of their circular structure. It doesn't stop there with falls, as there is a town festival to celebrate them called the Water Fall Festival. This festival usually takes places in September. When talking about Newington, being a road geek I have to talk about its roads again. The most famous road never built in Connecticut History was planned to cut right through Newington in the 1930's. Then Dot Commisioner Thomas Macdonald proposed a highway belt around Hartford, that had its southwest portion go right through town. This was state road, was to be called Route 291. Eventually only the north eastern section of the belt was only built and the town of Newington was spared. This was only until the DOT decided to build their headquarters here, where the highway would have been.Now that's weird, don't you think?
 There was even talk at one time of extending the Wilbur Cross Highway(Route 15), right through town as well, but that too never came to fruition. Many other things have come through when it comes to Newington. Its a great place to live and continues to thrive with it's Berlin Turnpike providing great access in
 and out of town. Maybe one day I will write a book about The Berlin Turnpike. For now though, I will just continue to take this famous road to the new town in the Meadow and a perfect one at that.

Click here for information on my book, "The Signs of Connecticut," a chronicle of those familiar blue signs that have the names of Connecticut's towns on them.

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